Three Art Crafts for Autumn Leaves

Seasonal Crafts Perfect for the Entire Family!

This autumn, try to turn some common natural resources into beautiful crafts or creative projects the whole family will enjoy.  In an earlier October blog post, Grady's GreenLiving Tips detailed how to use excess pumpkins for crafts or DIY projects.  This week, learn how to utilize another natural, autumn staple, fallen leaves, in art projects.  Below are three different type of craft ideas for autumn leaves:

1) Wall Decor: Once collected, leaves can be added to photo frames to create seasonal decor inside any home.  Additionally, leaves can act as a stencil for paintings or an addition to drawings to create a more realistic look for any autumnal scene.  Leaves can also be painted, dipped in wax, or brushed with glitter and then hung on walls and/ or doorways as another type of seasonal decor.

2) Unique Centerpieces: Leaves can be used to decorate seasonal paper lanterns (perfect for Halloween or harvest festivities!).  In addition, if leaves are place outside a bowl and glued together, the leaves can form a bowl shape that would create a memorable centerpiece.  

Five Reminders for a Daily, Green, Checklist

Remember GreenLiving Tips by Preparing Ahead of Time

One of the easiest ways to live a green life is to stick to a regular routine.  Incorporating several GreenLiving tips into daily tasks and goals will make eco-friendly practices easy to remember.  Below are several ways to create a five point checklist to remember GreenLiving advice:

1) Set a morning routine: Making breakfast?  Showering?  Getting dressed?  All of these aspects of the morning routine is a chance to incorporate a GreenLiving method.  Remember to time showers and turn off the tap after using the sink in order to avoid wasting excess water.  Another GreenLiving tip to add to the checklist is to unplug appliances like the coffeemaker before leaving the house to save energy.

2) Think of options: Travel options that is!  Commuting to work?  Use a green checklist to track what days it is possible to use some other form of transportation to commute and/ or travel.  Try ride sharing or catching the bus or train/ Metro.  

3) Prep "green": Preparing meals and/ or food throughout the day is a great way to practice GreenLiving tips.  Remember to utilize leftovers and bring containers to meals for better food storage techniques.  Don't contribute to food waste!

#FallDIY: Five Creative Ways to Recycle a Pumpkin

Autumnal Themed GreenLiving Tips

Pumpkins are a staple of the fall season, especially in the days leading up to and including Halloween.  But what are ways to utilize leftover pumpkins after this season?  In this blog post, Grady's GreenLiving Tips explores five ways to use a leftover pumpkin:

1) Utilize pumpkins for food and baked goods: Leftover pumpkins can be cut up and made into pies, cakes, and/ or jams.  Pumpkin seeds can also be scooped out and baked as well.

Learn more pumpkin recipes in the All Recipes article "19 Healthy Pumpkin Recipes".

2) Compost old and/ or leftover pumpkins: Pumpkins are primarily made of water and, because of this, are easily broken down into compost.

Five Steps to Create an On-The-Go Green Kit

Traveling?  Heading to the Office?  Simple Steps to Easily Promote GreenLiving

For those who live a green life, practicing eco-friendly habits can be challenging outside of the home.  For individuals who like to be more prepared, compiling a Green Kit can be a great way to enjoy eco-friendly practices when on-the-go for work, trips, hobbies, and beyond.

What are five items to pack in a Green Kit?  Read more here:

1) A durable water bottle: Purchasing plastic water bottles are fine as long as they are recycled afterwards.  But, sometimes, when traveling, it is not always easy to find a recycling bin nearby.  Pack a reusable water bottle in the green kit to refill with water whenever needed.

2) A fork, knife, and spoon: Plastic cutlery is not green and is designed to be thrown away after single, individual, use.  Try to pack one set of durable silverware in the Green Kit that can be used for on-the-go snacks.  This way, it won't be necessary to waste plastic cutlery.